Fit for a … guest

February 9, 2014

We officially have a place to sleep in our guest bedroom — complete with a bed frame and comfy plush mattress.

The best part? The whole set up cost us only $60. We bought the mattress from a friend for $50, and got the bed frame from another friend for free. It was missing a support bar, which we found at Ikea for $10. Not too shabby!

(I’d eventually like to stain the bed frame — I think it will look better if it was the same maple tone as the ceiling.)

My aunt Karen made the quilt and pillows, by the way. She’s super talented when it comes to crafty stuff! We’ll eventually get new bedding, but the quilt has been wonderful in the meantime.

The bed isn’t the only change we made in the room. We caulked and painted all of the wainscoting and trim — an improvement that’s not super obvious in the above photos, but in person it’s a major change from the previously cracked paneling. And of course, we organized and cleaned out all the junk in the space, something I’m sure my mom will appreciate the next time she spends the night.

The room still has a long way to go (see to-do list below), but it’s a vast improvement from the previous sad state of affairs:

And although we’re still very much in an in-between stage, with lots more work ahead before the room is complete, I did a few things to make the room feel more cozy and welcoming in the meantime. My favorite addition is this hanging votive. There was already a hook in the ceiling, so it was the perfect spot for this sweet candle holder.

So, who wants to come over and spend the night? We’re not going to win any design awards for this space, but we’re at the stage where the room is hospitable. So far, only Henry has enjoyed the improvements, but he approves. He recommends enjoying the view from the bed.